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The extremes of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) variability offer valuable new insights into the drivers and physics of AGN. We discuss some of the most extreme cases of AGN variability; the highest amplitudes, deep minima states, extreme spectral states, Seyfert-type changes, and semi-periodic signals, including new X-ray observations. The properties of changing-look (CL) AGN are briefly reviewed and a classification scheme is proposed which encompasses the variety of CL phenomena; distinguishing slow and fast events, repeat events, and frozen-look AGN which do not show any emission-line response. Long-term light curves that are densely covered over multiple years, along with follow-up spectroscopy, are utilized to gain insight into the underlying variability mechanisms including accretion disk and broad-line region physics. Remarkable differences are seen, for instance, in the optical spectral response to extreme outbursts, implying distinct intrinsic variability mechanisms. Furthermore, we discuss methods for distinguishing between CL AGN and CL look-alike events (tidal disruption events or supernovae in dense media). Finally, semi-periodic light curve variability is addressed and the latest multiwavelength (MWL) light curve of the binary supermassive black hole (SMBH) candidate OJ 287 from the MOMO project is presented. Recent results from that project have clearly established the need for new binary SMBH modelling matching the tight new constraints from observations, including the measurement of a low (primary) SMBH mass of ~10^8 Msun which also implies that OJ 287 is no longer in the regime of near-future pulsar timing arrays., Comment: Submitted to Advances in Space Research on July 11 (Special Issue on 'Astrophysical Spectroscopy and Data in Investigation of Laboratory and Space Plasmas'). Based on an invited talk given at the VI. Conference on AGN and Gravitational Lensing

The importance of some atom hydrogen collisions in AGN has been investigated. The results are useful for better estimate of the hydrogen Balmer lines uxes, which usage for effective temperature diagnostics in astrophysical plasma is limited by errors from the line formation models. The data could be also useful for modeling cooler and denser parts of AGN BLR clouds, as well as for the investigation of Rydberg states of hydrogen and for the study of their in uence during the cosmological recombination epoch. The results of the present work suggest that the investigated processes are of interest for the research and modelling of such media., Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures

The chemi-ionization (CI) processes in atom-Rydberg-atom collisions are investigated in this contribution. The rate coefficients for CI processes in $\textrm{Li}^{*}(n) + \textrm{Na}$, $\textrm{Li}^{*}(n) + \textrm{Li}$, $\textrm{Na}^{*}(n) + \textrm{Na}$ and $\textrm{H}^{*}(n)+\textrm{Li}$ collisions are calculated for wide region of temperatures $T \le 4000$ K and the principal quantum numbers $4 \le n\le 25$. These processes are investigated, with a particular accent on the possibility of involving alkali metals as the factors which may influence optical properties and modeling of weakly ionized layers of different stellar atmospheres. The obtained rate coefficients are applied to models of the Io atmosphere. Moreover, we present here further development of investigation of CI processes for other possible applications in spectroscopy such as in low temperature laboratory plasma created in gas discharges, for example in microwave-induced discharges at atmospheric pressure, where such plasma conditions may be favorable., Comment: Accepted for publishing in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 8 pages, 3 figures

Within the problem of the finding of the mean potential energy of the charged particle in the plasma in this work a classification of physical systems (electrolytes, dusty plasmas, plasmas) is made based on consideration, or lack thereof, of a few special additional conditions. The system considered here, as well as other systems which are described with those additional conditions imposed are treated as the systems of the "closed" type, while the systems where those conditions are fully neglected - as being of the "open" type. In the our previous investigation one- and two component systems were examined. Here, as the object of investigation fully ionized electron-ion plasma with positive charged ions of two different kinds, including the plasmas of higher non-ideality, is chosen for the first time. For such plasma a new self-consistent model method of describing electrostatic screening is developed which includes all the necessary additional conditions. By this method such extremely significant phenomena as electron-ion and ion-ion correlations are included in the used model. The characteristics of the considered plasmas in a wide region of electron densities and temperatures are calculated. All the obtained results, including a comparison with systems of the "open" type are specifically discussed., Comment: 38 pages, 10 figures 14 Tables

The values of electrical conductivity of plasma of stars with a magnetic field or moving in the magnetic field of the other component in a binary system could be of significant interest, since they are useful for the study of thermal evolution of such objects, cooling, nuclear burning of accreted matter, and the investigation of their magnetic fields. So, on the basis of numerically calculated values for the dense plasma conductivity in an external HF electric field, we determine the HF characteristics of astrophysical plasmas under extreme conditions. The examined range of frequencies covers the IR, visible and near UV regions and consider electronic number density and temperature are in the ranges of $10^{21} \textrm{cm}^{-3} \le Ne$ and 20 000 $\le T$, respectively. The method developed here represents a powerful tool for research into white dwarfs with different atmospheric compositions (DA, DC etc.), and for investigation of some other stars (M-type red dwarfs, Sun etc.)., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures

In our previous research, it has been demonstrated that such inelastic processes in atom Rydberg-atom collisions, as chemi-ionization and (n-n') mixing, should be considered together. Here we will review the present state of the art and the actual problems will be discussed. In this context, we will consider the influence of the (n-n')-mixing during a symmetric atom Rydberg-atom collision processes on the intensity of chemi-ionization process. It will be taken into account H(1s) + H*(n) collisional systems, where the principal quantum number n $>>$ 1. It will be demonstrated that the inclusion of (n-n') mixing in the calculation, influences significantly on the values of chemi-ionization rate coefficients, particularly in the lower part of the block of the Rydberg states. Different possible channels of the (n-n')-mixing influence on chemi-ionization rate coefficients will be demonstrated. The possibility of interpretation of the (n-n')-mixing influence will be considered on the basis of two existing methods for describing of the inelastic processes in symmetrical atom Rydberg-atom collisions., Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures

MOL-D database is a collection of cross-sections and rate coefficients for specific collisional processes and a web service within the Serbian Virtual Observatory (SerVO) and the Virtual Atomic and Molecular Data Center (VAMDC). This database contains photo-dissociation cross-sections for the individual ro-vibrational states of the diatomic molecular ions and rate coefficients for the atom-Rydberg atom chemi-ionization and inverse electron-ion-atom chemi-recombination processes. At the moment it contains data for photodissociation cross-sections of hydrogen H2+ and helium He2+ molecular ions and the corresponding averaged thermal photodissociation cross-sections. The ro-vibrational energy states and the corresponding dipole matrix elements are provided as well. Hydrogen and helium molecular ion data are important for calculation of solar and stellar atmosphere models and for radiative transport, as well as for kinetics of other astrophysical and laboratory plasma (i.e. early Universe).

Ionized geocosmic media parameters in a thermal and a subthermal range of energy have a number of unique features. The photoresonance plasma that is formed by optical excitation of the lowest excited (resonance) atomic states is one example of conversion of radiation energy into electrical one. Since spontaneous fluorescence of excited atoms is probabilistic, the description of the radiating quantized system evolution along with photons energy transfer in a cold atoms medium, should include elements of stochastic dynamics. Finally, the chaotic dynamics of a weakly bound Rydberg electron over a grid of the energy levels diagram of a quasi-molecular Rydberg complex provides an excitation migration of the electron forward to the ionization continuum. This work aims at discussing the specific features of the dynamic resonances formalism in the description of processes involving Rydberg states of an excited atom, including features in the fluorescence spectrum partially caused by the quantum defect control due to the presence of statistic electromagnetic fields.

In this paper we confine our attention to the analysis of amplitude and phase data acquired by monitoring VLF/LF radio signals emitted by four European transmitters during a seven-year period (2008-2014). All the data were recorded at a Belgrade site (44.85$^{0}$ N, 20.38$^{0}$ E) by the Stanford University ELF/VLF receiver AWESOME. Propagation of VLF/LF radio signal takes place in the Earth-ionosphere waveguide and strongly depends on ionization level of the D-region, which means that it is mainly controlled by solar conditions. Some results of amplitude and phase variations on GQD/22.10 kHz, DHO/23.40 kHz, ICV/20.27 kHz and NSC/45.90 kHz radio signals measurements at short distances ($D < 2$ Mm) over Central Europe and their interpretation are summarized in this paper. Attention is restricted to regular diurnal, seasonal and solar variations including sunrise and sunset effects on propagation characteristics of four VLF/LF radio signals. We study VLF/LF propagation over short path as a superposition of different number of discrete modes which depends on the variations of the path parameters. Although the solar X-ray flare effects on propagation of VLF/LF radio signals are well recognized on all paths, similarities and differences between them are defined under existing conditions over the paths. Statistical results show that the size of amplitude and phase perturbations on VLF/LF radio signal is in correlation with the intensity of X-ray flux. We present the calculations of electron density enhancements in the D-region caused by different classes of solar X-ray flares during the period of ascending phase and maximum of the solar cycle 24.

Electron density and temperature changes in the D-region of the ionosphere are sensitively manifested as changes in the amplitude and phase of subionospheric Very Low Frequency (VLF) signals propagating beneath the perturbed region. Disturbances (either in electron density or temperature) in the D region cause significant scattering of VLF waves propagating in the earth-ionosphere waveguide, leading to measurable changes in the amplitude and phase of the VLF waves. We analyze Lightning-induced electron precipitation (LEP) events during period 2008 - 2009 at Belgrade station on subionospheric VLF signals from four transmitters (DHO/23.4 kHz, Germany; GQD/22.1 kHz, UK; NAA/24.0 kHz USA and ICV/20.9 kHz Italy)., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figs

Very Low Frequency, VLF and Low Frequency, LF signal perturbations were examined to study ionospheric disturbances induced by solar X-ray flares. The aim was to understand processes in propagation VLF/LF radio signals over short paths, and to estimate specific characteristics of each short path. The receiver at Belgrade station continuously monitor the amplitude and phase of coherent and subionospherically propagating LF signal operated in Sicily, NSC at 45.90, kHz and VLF signal operated in Isola di Tavolara ICV at 20.27 kHz, with great circle distances of 953 km and 976 km, respectively. Geographical locations of transmitters and receiver site result that these short paths have many similarity. The main difference is in transmitter frequencies. In period from 2008 to February 2014 were selected around 200 events for further examination. In all selected examples amplitude and phase on VLF and LF signals were perturbed by occurrence of solar X-ray flares. This six years period covers minimum and maximum of solar activity. Also, simultaneous measurement of amplitude and phase on the VLF/LF signals during occurrence of solar flare were employed for constructing electron density profile versus altitude and also in a function of time over middle Europe., Comment: published in Serb.Astron.J

As a continuation of the previous investigations of the symmetric and strongly non-symmetric ion-atom absorption processes in the far UV region within the models of the quiet Sun photosphere, these processes are studied here within a model of the sunspot. Here we mean the absorption processes in the H$(1s)$+H$^{+}$ and H$(1s)+X^{+}$ collisions and the processes of the photo-dissociation of the H$_{2}^{+}$ and H$X^{+}$ molecular ions, where $X$ is one of the metal atoms: $X=$Na, Ca, Mg, Si and Al. Obtained results show that the influence of the considered ion-atom absorption processes on the opacity of sunspots in the considered spectral region (110 nm $\lesssim \lambda \lesssim$ 230 nm) is not less and in some parts even larger than the influence of the referent electron-atom processes. In such a way, it is shown that the considered ion-atom absorption processes should be included \emph{ab initio} in the corresponding models of sunspots of solar-type and near solar-type stars. Apart of that, the spectral characteristics of the considered non-symmetric ion-atom absorption processes (including here the case $X$ = Li), which can be used in some further applications, have been determined and presented within this work., Comment: Accepted in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

In this work the processes of absorption charge-exchange and photo-association in He+H$^{+}$ collisions together with the process of ion HeH$^{+}$ photo-dissociation are considered as factors of influence on the opacity of the atmospheres of helium-rich white dwarfs in the far UV and EUV region. It is shown that they should be taken into account even in the cases of the atmospheres of white dwarfs with H:He =$10^{-5}$. Than, it is established that in the cases of white dwarfs with H:He $\gtrsim 10^{-4}$, particulary when H:He $\approx 10^{-3}$, these processes have to be included \emph{ab initio} in the corresponding models of their atmospheres, since in the far UV and EUV region they become dominant with respect to the known symmetric ion-atom absorption processes., Comment: Accepted in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

In the previous works the significance of the symmetric and non-symmetric ion-atom absorption processes in far UV and EUV regions within a model of the quiet Sun atmosphere, has been studied. The considered processes were the processes of the photo-dissociation of the molecular ions H$_{2}^{+}$ and H$X^{+}$ and absorption processes in H+H$^{+}$ and H$+X^{+}$ collisions, where $X$ denotes the metal atom. As the continuation of the previous investigation, these processes are considered also within the corresponding sunspot model. In this work the non-symmetric ion-atom absorption processes are considered with $X=$ Mg, Si, etc. It was analyzed the significance of such processes in far UV and EUV regions in comparison with the concurrent absorption processes, especially with the processes of the photo-ionization of the metal atoms (Na, Mg, Ca, etc.) which were not included in the consideration in the case of the quiet Sun atmosphere. From our analysis it follows that the non-symmetric ion-atom absorption processes considered here, are significant not only for quiet Sun modeling but also for sunspots and should be included {\it ab initio} in both cases., Comment: accepted in Advances in Space Research

Radiative and collisional constants of excited atoms contain the matrix elements of the dipole transitions and when they are blocked one can expect occurring a number of interesting phenomena in radiation-collisional kinetics. In recent astrophysical studies of IR emission spectra it was revealed a gap in the radiation emitted by Rydberg atoms ($RA$) with values of the principal quantum number of $n\approx10$. Under the presence of external electric fields a rearrangement of $RA$ emission spectra is possible to associate with manifestations of the Stark effect. The threshold for electric field ionization of $RA$ is $E\approx3\cdot10^{4}$ V/cm for states with $n>10$. This means that the emission of $RA$ with $n\ge10$ is effectively blocked for such fields. In the region of lower electric field intensities the double Stark resonance (or F\"{o}rster resonance) becomes a key player. On this basis it is established the fact that the static magnetic or electric fields may strongly affect the radiative constants of optical transitions in the vicinity of the F\"{o}ster resonance resulting, for instance, in an order of magnitude reduction of the intensity in some lines. Then, it is shown in this work that in the atmospheres of celestial objects lifetimes of comparatively long-lived $RA$ states and intensities of corresponding radiative transitions can be associated with the effects of dynamic chaos via collisional ionization. The F\"{o}ster resonance allows us to manipulate the random walk of the Rydberg electron ($RE$) in the manifold of quantum levels and hence change the excitation energies of $RA$, which lead to anomalies in the IR spectra., Comment: in press Advances in Space Research

The aim of this work is to draw attention to the processes of radiative charge exchange in non-symmetric ion-atom collisions as a factor of influence on the opacity of stellar atmospheres in VUV region. For that purpose calculations of the spectral absorption coefficients for several ion-atom systems, namely: He + H$^{+}$ and H + X$^{+}$, where X = Na and Li have been performed. On chosen examples it has been established that the examined processes generate rather wide molecular absorption bands in the VUV region, which should be taken into account for the interpretation of data obtained from laboratory measurements or astrophysical observations. In this paper the potential significance is discussed of the considered radiative processes for DB white dwarfs and solar atmospheres, as well as for the atmospheres of the so-called lithium stars.

The results of semi-classical calculations of rate coefficients of $(n-n')$-mixing processes due to collisions of Rydberg atoms $He^{*}(n)$ with $He(1s^2)$ atoms are presented. It is assumed that these processes are caused by the resonant energy exchange within the electron component of $He^{*}(n)+He$ collision system. The method is realized through the numerical simulation of the $(n-n')$-mixing processes, and is applied for calculations of the corresponding rate coefficients. The calculations are performed for the principal quantum numbers $n,\mbox{} n'$ in ranges $4 \le n < n' \le 10$, and the atom and electron temperatures, $T_a, T_e$, in domains $5000K \le T_{a} \le T_{e} \le 20000K$. It is shown that the $(n-n')$-mixing processes can significantly influence the populations of Rydberg atoms in non-equilibrium weakly ionized helium plasmas with ionization degree $\sim 10^{-4}$. Therefore, these processes have to be included in the appropriate models of such plasmas.

The method of moments is used to calculate the dynamic conductivity of strongly coupled fully ionized hydrogen plasmas. The electron density $n_{e}$ and temperature $T$ vary in the domains $ 10^{21} < n_{e} < 10^{24} {\rm cm}^{-3}$, $10^{4} {\rm K} < T < 10^{6} {\rm K}$. The results are compared to some theoretical data.

We aim to show the importance of non-elastic excitation and deexcitation processes in $\textrm{He}^{*}(n)+ \textrm{He}(1s^{2})$ collisions with the principal quantum number $n \ge 3$ for helium-rich white dwarf atmospheres. We compare the efficiencies of these processes with those of the known non-elastic electron-$\textrm{He}^{*}(n)$ atom processes in the atmospheres of some DB white dwarfs. We show that in significant parts of the considered atmospheres, which contain weakly ionized layers (the ionization degree $\lesssim 10^{-3}$), the influence of the studied atom-Rydberg atom processes on excited helium atom populations is dominant or at least comparable to the influence of the concurrent electron-$\textrm{He}^{*}(n)$-atom processes., Comment: Astronomy & Astrophysics, Accepted: 14 February 2013

The aim of this research is to show that the processes of absorption charge-exchange and photo-association in $A+B^{+}$ collisions together with the processes of $AB^{+}$ photo-dissociation in the case of strongly non-symmetric ion-atom systems, significantly influence the opacity of stellar atmospheres in ultraviolet (UV) and extreme UV (EUV) region. In this work, the significance of such processes for solar atmosphere is studied. In the case of the solar atmosphere the absorption processes with $A=$ H and $B=$ Mg and Si are treated as dominant ones, but the cases $A=$ H and $B=$ Al and $A=$ He and $B=$ H are also taken into consideration. The choice of just these species is caused by the fact that, of the species relevant for the used solar-atmosphere model, it was only for them that we could determine the necessary characteristics of the corresponding molecular ions, i.e. the molecular potential curves and dipole matrix elements. It is shown that the efficiency of the examined non-symmetric processes within the rather wide corresponding quasi-molecular absorption bands in the far-UV and EUV regions is comparable and sometimes even greater than the intensity of the known symmetric ion-atom absorption processes, which are included now in the models of the solar atmosphere. Consequently, the presented results suggest that the non-symmetric ion-atom absorption processes also have to be included \emph{ab initio} in the corresponding models of the stellar atmospheres., Comment: MNRAS first published online February 23, 2013

Elementary processes in astrophysical phenomena traditionally attract researchers attention. At first this can be attributed to a group of hemi-ionization processes in Rydberg atom collisions with ground state parent atoms. This processes might be studied as a prototype of the elementary process of the radiation energy transformation into electrical one. The studies of nonlinear mechanics have shown that so called regime of dynamic chaos should be considered as typical, rather than exceptional situation in Rydberg atoms collision. From comparison of theory with experimental results it follows that a such kind of stochastic dynamic processes, occurred during the single collision, may be observed.

The static electrical conductivity of non-ideal, dense, partially ionized helium plasma was calculated over a wide range of plasma parameters: temperatures $1\cdot 10^{4}\textrm{K} \lesssim T \lesssim 1\cdot 10^{5}\textrm{K}$ and mass density $1 \times 10^{-6} \textrm{g}/\textrm{cm}^{3} \lesssim \rho \lesssim 2 \textrm{g}/\textrm{cm}^{3}$. Calculations of electrical conductivity of plasma for the considered range of plasma parameters are of interest for DB white dwarf atmospheres with effective temperatures $1\cdot 10^{4}\textrm{K} \lesssim T_{eff} \lesssim 3\cdot 10^{4}\textrm{K}$. Electrical conductivity of plasma was calculated by using the modified random phase approximation and semiclassical method, adapted for the case of dense, partially ionized plasma. The results were compared with the unique existing experimental data, including the results related to the region of dense plasmas. In spite of low accuracy of the experimental data, the existing agreement with them indicates that results obtained in this paper are correct.

Here is presented the calculation of the dynamic electrical conductivity of fully ionized, strongly coupled plasmas as a function of the external electric field frequency $\omega$. The calculations are based on the the formula for the energy-dependent collision frequency which is determined by means of the Green function theory methods, as a sum over the Matsubara frequencies. The domain of extremely high electron density: $10^{21}\leq n_{e}\leq 10^{24} \textrm{cm}^{-3}$, and for the temperature varying from $10 \textrm{kK}$ to $1.000 \textrm{kK}$ was examined. The real and imaginary parts of the conductivity for every electron density are presented in the generalized Drude-like form as a two-parameter function of the frequency $\omega$ in the region $0 < \omega < 0.5\omega_{p}$, where $\omega_{p}$ is the plasma frequency. A good agreement between the obtained results and the existing theoretical and computing simulation data is shown.

A new modeling way of describing the continuous absorption of electromagnetic (EM) radiation in dense partially ionized hydrogen plasma is tested in this work. It is shown that the obtained results give a possibility of calculating spectral absorption coefficients which characterize the relevant absorption processes in partially ionized hydrogen plasmas with electron densities $N_{e} \sim 10^{19}cm^{-3}$ and temperatures $T \approx 2\cdot 10^{4}K$. A key parameter of the used procedure is determined empirically. The calculation method is applied to wavelength region $300nm < \lambda < 500nm$. The presented results can be of interest for dense laboratory plasmas as well as for partially ionized layers of different stellar atmospheres.

In this article the history and the current state of research of the chemiionization processes in atom-Rydberg atom collisions is presented. The principal assumptions of the model of such processes based on the dipole resonance mechanism, as well as the problems of stochastic ionization in atom-Rydberg atom collisions, are exposed. The properties of the collision kinetics in atom beams of various types used in contemporary experimentations are briefly described. Results of the calculation of the chemi-ionization rate coefficients are given and discussed for the range of the principal quantum number values 5 < n < 25. The role of the chemi-ionization processes in astrophysical and laboratory low-temperature plasmas, and the contemporary methods of their investigation are described. Also the directions of further research of chemi-ionization processes are discussed in this article.

In this paper, we present a model for determination of a weakly time dependent effective recombination coefficient for the perturbed terrestrial ionospheric D-region plasma. We study consequences of a class M1.0 X-ray solar flare, recorded by GOES-15 satellite on February 18, 2011 between 14:00 UT and 14:15 UT, by analyzing the amplitude and phase real time variations of very low frequency (VLF) radio waves emitted by transmitter DHO (located in Germany) at frequency 23.4 kHz and recorded by the AWESOME receiver in Belgrade (Serbia). Our analysis is limited to ionospheric perturbations localized at altitudes around 70 km where the dominant electron gain and electron loss processes are the photo-ionization and recombination respectively.

In this paper, we study the influence of solar flares on electron concentration in the terrestrial ionospheric D-region by analyzing the amplitude and phase time variations of very low frequency (VLF) radio waves emitted by DHO transmitter (Germany) and recorded by the AWESOME receiver in Belgrade (Serbia) in real time. The rise of photo-ionization rate in the ionospheric D-region is a typical consequence of solar flare activity as recorded by GOES-15 satellite for the event on March 24, 2011 between 12:01 UT and 12:11 UT. At altitudes around 70 km, the photo-ionization and recombination are the dominant electron gain and electron loss processes, respectively. We analyze the relative contribution of each of these two processes in the resulting electron concentration variation in perturbed ionosphere.

One of the methods of detection and analysis of solar flares is observing the time variations of certain solar spectral lines. During solar flares, a raise of electron concentration occurs in Earth's ionosphere which results in amplitude and phase variations of the recorded very low frequency (VLF) waves. We compared the data obtained by the analysis of recorded VLF signals and line spectra for different solar flares. In this paper we treated the DHO VLF signal transmitted from Germany at the frequency of 23.4 kHz recorded by the AWESOME system in Belgrade (Serbia) during solar flares in the period between 10:40 UT and 13:00 UT on 2011 April 22.

In this work is examined a new modeling way of describing the continuous absorption of electromagnetic (EM) radiation in a dense partially ionized hydrogen plasmas with electron densities about $5\cdot10^{18}$ cm$^{-3}$ - $1.5\cdot10^{19}$cm$^{-3}$ and temperatures about $1.6 \cdot10^{4}$ K - $2.5 \cdot 10^{4}$ K in the wavelength region $300 \textrm{nm} < \lambda < 500 \textrm{nm}$. The obtained results can be applied to the plasmas of the partially ionized layers of different stellar atmospheres.